A Whiny, Attention-Starved Puppy

Do you have a dog that just can’t stand to be away from you? A puppy that will just absolutely die if you stop petting her? I do.

After some research, I’ve resolved to teach my puppy Olive that she cannot whine to get attention. For whiny dogs, we need to help them build confidence in themselves and their ability to be without you.

Here are some tactics I’ve been employing to help her our of this bad habit and build some confidence. Say it with me, whiny-puppy parents!

I will ignore them when they whine (though you should eliminate other possible reasons like hunger or pain)

I will tell him or her to get down when they jump on me to beg

I will only give my dog affection when he or she is being submissive, after he or she follows a command and when he or she is not whining (They have to earn it, and I’ve found that they love having this “task”)

I will teach my dog to be okay without me in the room. (Have them sit and stay in one room while you hang out in the next. Close doors to your rooms and maybe even let them stay in their cage or kennel for 15 minutes while you’re still around the house.)

I blame myself for Olive’s neediness. It is extremely hard to ignore her when she’s begging and whining. She’s so cute, and I know she loves me so much and always wants to be with her doggy mom! I feel like this will be a good lesson in parenting later on down the line. She needs to know that it’s okay to be without me and my affection!

What are your experiences with your over-attached, attention-starved pup?

Welcome to Olive + Hitch!

We are two high school sweethearts who closed a 500 mile gap by getting an apartment together. We soon realized that our apartment still felt empty. So what better thing to do than adopt a dog? That’s when Hitch came into our lives! After ten months, we decided Hitch needed a friend to play with during our working hours – someone who could liven his spirit and prove that this border collie mix wasn’t a mere couch potato. So once again, we were off to the shelter, and in trots Olive.

Follow the adventures of these twenty-something year-old doggy parents as we share our experiences, thoughts and feelings in raising and living with these two pups. We’ve found that they learn a lot from us, but we are learning leagues more from them.